7 quirky travel apps – even one to help you find a loo!

It has been said the only thing that you can buy that makes you richer, is travel. But, whether you love to travel or not, be sure to check out these quirky but useful travel apps. You’d certainly be amused!

1. SitOrSquat

Isn’t it annoying when you’re travelling and you really need to find a toilet but you just can’t remember how to ask for it in the local language? Or you ate some fancy foreign food the previous night that just didn’t go down well and you now need to make a few pitstops during your journey? No fear! SitOrSquat, the app for locating bathrooms, is here! Its extensive database comprises the location of over 100,000 toilets all over the world, and the list is growing day by day. Just search by city, postcode or geolocation (i.e. the nearest), to get a list of the options. Each toilet listed comes with reviews and ratings for cleanliness, an indication whether it’s a sitter or a squatter, and even a note if it’s currently closed. If you’re lucky, there might even be a photo. If you’re unlucky, though, it might be on a passing train!

Cost: Free

2. Vapp

Want to take a group shot with your travel mates, but there’s nobody to hold the cam and click the shutter because everyone wants to be in the picture? No worries! With Vapp, a hands-free camera app, you can control the shutter with whatever sound you choose and you no longer have to race against the timer. Just place your handphone on a tripod, then whistle, clap, scream or make a noise and the app will snap the picture for you. Look, ma, no hands! This app is only available to iPhone users currently.

Cost: US$0.99 (RM4.35)

3. Taxi Hold’em

If you can’t bear the thought of attracting attention to yourself by raising your voice to hail a cab, especially when you’re in a foreign country, then this is the app for you. Taxi Hold’em takes on the task of hailing a taxi for you. An eye-catching “TAXI” sign in black and yellow will flash across your handphone screen when you tilt it sideways. And if the cab drivers don’t see the 1.8cm letters on your handphone when they drive by, the app also lets out a shrill whistle to catch their attention. Do note for some reason South African taxi drivers will just laugh and drive by. Why? No one knows.

Cost: Free

4. Wonders Flip

Yet another travel app that might help to save face should you have trouble differentiating between different tourist attractions such as the Parthenon and the Pantheon, or the Sistine Chapel and St Peter’s Basilica. Wonders Flip is a photo flash card app that helps you learn to identify the world’s most famous attractions correctly, so you’d always know which wonder of the world you’re looking at.

Cost: US$0.99 (RM4.35)

5. Sleepy Traveller

Have you ever fallen asleep while travelling on a bus or train, and missed your stop? That can be a thing of the past with the Sleepy Traveller app. Not only is it useful for sleepy or even tipsy users, it’s also useful for travellers who are unfamiliar with the surroundings and need to know when to get off a bus or train at the right stop. Just search for your destination and set the alarm. Your handphone’s internal GPS will sound the alarm right before you arrive at your destination. You’ll never miss your stop again. But since it’s GPS-based, it doesn’t function underground. This app is only available to iPhone users currently.

Cost: US$0.99 (RM4.35)

6. Sickweather

For all the hypochondriacs out there, this one is for you. If you’re travelling and worried about catching any mysterious virus that’s in the region, Sickweather will warn you when you’ve entered a sick zone or area where illnesses have been reported recently. And, if you’re OCD, it even comes with a 20-second hand-washing timer.

Cost: Free

7. Fog of World

Turn travelling into a game with Fog of World. This app encourages you to explore the world around you by placing a layer of fog over a map. This virtual fog will lift as you cover that area, whether you’re walking or in a vehicle. Turn your travel into a fun game of achievement as you keep uncovering more areas.